The movie is corny for sure but it's an awesome kids movie; fanboys should be more than pleased!

Rating: Null/10 (13 July 2013)

'PACIFIC RIM': FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Director Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi action film about a future where the world is taken over by giant sea creatures and humanity's last hope is to build giant robots to fight them. The robots are controlled by two pilots who must merge their minds together through a neural link in order to control them. Del Toro uses this theme as a metaphor for how we all must come together in life (accepting each other's flaws and differences and utilizing each other's strengths and empathy) in order to survive and live in peace and happiness. The movie is corny for sure but it's an awesome kids movie with a lot of heart and fanboys should be more than pleased.
The story is set in the near future when a portal is opened, in a crevasse beneath the Pacific Ocean, which leads to another dimension. It unleashes giant monsters into our world, called 'Kaiju', which quickly wipe out millions of lives and destroy much of our resources. All the countries of the world unite together to fight the monsters and develop a technology they call 'Jaegers', which are giant humanoid robots controlled by two pilots. The pilots must link to the robots, through a neural bridge, in order to control them. This proved to be too much for a single pilot so two pilots are required to control the robots and must neurally link together, through a process called 'Drifting', in order to do so. 'Drifting' allows the pilots to see into each others minds, and learn the other's deepest and darkest fears, in order to better cooperate and control the giant machinery.
The film focuses on one pilot, Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), who loses his brother (Diego Klattenhoff) while 'drifting' (during a 'Jaeger' battle with an extremely powerful 'Kaiju'). The trauma of the event forces him to retire and the world continues to decay as the 'Jaegers' become less and less effective in battling the 'Kaiju'. The worlds governments eventually give up on the 'Jaeger' program and terminate it. The 'Jaeger' program's commanding officer, Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), isn't ready to quit just yet. He comes up with a plan to end the war with the monsters once and for all but he needs Becket to help him carry it out. Becket reluctantly agrees and teams up with a test pilot, named Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), to pilot his old 'Jaeger' (which is named 'Gipsy Danger' and one of only four remaining 'Jaegers'). Mako is very close to Pentecost and has a tragic past involving the 'Kaiju', which causes complications when 'drifting' with Becket. The two must overcome these problems and work together as the 'Kaiju' become an increasingly greater threat. A geek scientist, named Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day, of 'IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA' fame) also becomes intricate in Becket's plan to stop the apocalypse.
Del Toro directed and co-wrote the film (with Travis Beacham, who conceived the story idea). Together they really have created an amazing world. I love all the detail and passion that went into creating it and think it really paid off well. Their $180 million budget really went to good use as the film looks spectacular. It's like a beautiful live action cartoon and you really can't go wrong with giant robots vs. monsters (the action scenes are unreal)! It's everything I loved about the movies when I was a kid (this movie would have blown me away). The acting is great (Elba is always too cool, Kikuchi gives a passionate and very strong performance and I could watch Day for hours in a role like this) but the star of this movie really is Guillermo del Toro. He's really outdone himself here. I love movies but I especially like the nostalgic ones that really bring out the kid in me. This is one of those movies and I can't give it high enough praise.
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